WCW Clash of the Champions XVIII (Version II)

Original Airdate: January 21, 1992

From Topeka, Kansas; Your Hosts are Jim Ross and Tony Schiavone

Opening Match: The Steiner Brothers v Big Van Vader and Mr. Hughes: Harley Race is now managing Vader. Scott Steiner starts with Hughes, and quickly puts him on his back with a single-leg takedown. Scott adds a fireman's carry, so Hughes goes to the eyes, and pops him with a headbutt. Scott responds with a release overhead suplex, however, and that's enough to send Hughes running for the hills. Vader comes in for some double team action, but the Brothers climb to the top, and knock both men to the outside with stereo flying clotheslines. Dust settles on Rick Steiner and Vader, and Rick tries a headlock, but quickly takes a side suplex. Vader with a vertical suplex and a press-slam, followed by an avalanche, but a second is countered with a Steinerline and a release overhead suplex! Rick clotheslines Vader over the top to punctuate it, but a dive out after him gets caught, and Rick is rammed into the post. Back in, Vader drills him with a clothesline, but a trip to the top rope backfires when Rick overhead superplexes him down. Tag to Scott with a clothesline for two, and a German suplex sets up a flying bodypress - only for Vader to counter with a powerslam. Scott tries a sunset flip, but Vader counters with a seated senton splash for two. Back to Hughes with a powerslam of his own for two, and he blasts Scotty with a clothesline - only to miss an avalanche to allow the tag to Rick. Steiner is a doghouse of fire, and Roseanne Barr the door, we've got a kettle on! The heels try to double up, but Rick manages to catch Hughes with a flying bulldog for the pin at 9:03. All action here. A fun, hard hitting power match. *** ¼ (Original rating: ** ¾)

Brian Pillman and Marcus Alexander Bagwell v Tracy Smothers and Terry Taylor: Pillman starts with Taylor, and they trade chops in the corner early on. Brian with a headscissors takedown and an atomic drop to knock Terry into the corner for some pinballing action with Bagwell, but Brian runs into a backbreaker for two. Jawbreaker follows, but Pillman manages another headscissors, and adds a bodypress for two. Tag to Bagwell, and he comes in hot with hiptosses, so Smothers comes in without a tag - cutoff by Air Pillman! The heels bail, but get nailed with stereo planchas, and the dust settles on Bagwell and Smothers. They keep switching corners here, which is weird and annoying. Tracy smacks Marcus around, and hits a short-clothesline for two, then back to Taylor for a cross corner clothesline. Snapmare sets up a somersault necksnap for two, and Smothers comes in with a bodyslam - only for a splash to hit the knees! Brian gets the tag and comes in hot with a backdrop and a spinheel kick, but Taylor breaks a pinfall attempt, and suplexes his ass out of the ring! Inside, Smothers gets two off of it, and Taylor tags in with a gutwrench powerbomb for two. They cut the ring in half on Brian, but Smothers gets cocky, and eats another Air Pillman! Tag to Bagwell, and Roseanne Barr the door, we've got a kettle on! The heels go for a double team, but Bagwell catches Smothers with a sunset flip for the pin at 7:48! Another one that was all action. *** ¼ (Original rating: ** ¼)

We take a look back at the night Jushin Thunder Liger won the Light Heavyweight Title from Brian Pillman at a house show in Atlanta on Christmas Day

Johnny B. Badd v Richard Morton: Quick feeling out process to start, with Morton using hair pulls to escape holds, then hiding in the ropes to avoid getting hit. Badd with a 2^nd rope flying axehandle, but Morton dumps him to the outside - only to turn his back, and get schoolboyed for two. Richard responds with a clothesline and an inverted atomic drop, and he dumps Johnny to the outside again. He's wise enough not to gloat this time, however, instead hopping out and sending Badd into the post. Still, Badd manages a slingshot sunset flip for two on the way back in, so Morton fires back with a snap suplex for two. He makes the mistake of trying to match Badd at boxing, but manages to keep control anyway with a shoulderblock - only to have a bodypress reversed anyway at 3:21. This was kind of all over the place, but it wasn't lazy. * ¼ (Original rating: ½*)

Eric Bischoff brings Brian Pillman out for an interview regarding his upcoming title rematch with Jushin Liger at SuperBrawl II. Johnny B. Badd is also there. As Pillman cuts a fiery promo about how he's going to bring the title back to the United States, Badd clowns around, and ends up getting decked. Good, he was acting like an asshole

PN News v Diamond Dallas Page: Hot take: I think News might have actually had a chance at getting over had he not been given such stupid gear. A slim chance, sure, but no one was gonna cheer for a guy dressed like that, sorry. News dropkicks him out of the ring and brings him back in for an avalanche, then adds a pair of rolling splashes, but misses an elbowdrop. Page fires off a clothesline for two, and a series of three elbowdrops hit, followed by a Russian legsweep for two. Bodyslam sees him get toppled for two, however, so Dallas snaps his throat across the top rope instead. Slingshot bodypress gets two, but a cross corner whip is reversed, and News hits a belly-to-belly suplex. That sets up the Rap Master Splash, and we're out at 3:27. Not much, but another energetic outing tonight. ¾* (Original rating: ¼*)

Tony Schiavone brings out new WCW Executive Vice President K. Allen Frey, who immediately makes waves by introducing Jesse Ventura as a new addition to the broadcast team. And a good one - even if he does dress like an asshole. He then brings Sting out to officially sign the contract to challenge Lex Luger for the WCW World Title at SuperBrawl II. This may be the first contract signing in wrestling history that doesn't end in a brawl, though that's more because Luger couldn't be bothered to show up than anything else

Falls Count Anywhere Match: Cactus Jack v Van Hammer: Dallas Page and Hammer look like they shop at the same store. Hammer comes right at him by diving in from the ramp with a bodypress for two, then cross corner clotheslining him to setup a (sloppy) 2^nd rope flying bulldog and a legdrop for two. 2^nd rope flying clothesline follows, but Jack swats him out of the air with his own clothesline for two, and Cactus Clotheslines them to the outside for two. Jack whips him into the rail out there and then pulls up the floor mats for a 2^nd rope flying sunset flip out there for two. That was kind of a stupid move from a kayfabe perspective, since it's a rollup on Hammer, but a huge bump for the guy delivering the move. The risk/reward just isn't there. Onto the ramp, Hammer powerslams him for two, so Jack goes to the eyes - only to have a suplex countered with an inside cradle for two. Jack fires back with a clothesline, but a hiptoss off the ramp is reversed, and Hammer follows up with a flying clothesline off the ramp for two. They brawl to the backstage area and out into the parking lot, where Jack beats on him with various weapons, then over to some rodeo equipment for another brawl. It's back-and-forth, but then Abdullah the Butcher shows up with a shovel, hits Hammer, and Jack gets the pin at 10:00. Really fun and unique (for the time) brawl here, with hard work from both men. This would be just another night during the Attitude Era, but this was really innovative for mainstream in the early 90s. *** (Original rating: * ¾)

The Fabulous Freebirds v Big Josh and Brad Armstrong: The Birds come out doing a live version of their new entrance theme, complete with music video intercut. And it's just TERRIBLE. It's so bad that the announcers don't even know how to spin it, and it even apparently tanked the ratings for the show, as people tuned out en masse. It definitely falls under the 'so bad, it's good' umbrella in nowadays, though. Armstrong actually used to be a Freebird (Badstreet), though that's not acknowledged, of course. Fools! They could have made ALL OF THE MONEY! Michael Hayes starts with Brad, and they feel each other out. Michael with a rollup for two, and he passes out to Jimmy Garvin for a running forearm. Flying bodypress gets two, so Josh tags in for a running powerslam and the logroll. Tag back to Hayes, but Josh bodyslams him, and gives him a logroll of his own. Backdrop, but Hayes counters with a sunset flip for two, and passes back to Garvin. Josh reverses a cross corner whip and unloads a ten-punch, and both men tag again. Armstrong comes in hot with a backdrop and a few dropkicks, but he runs into a tandem DDT, and we're out at 3:49. Energetic, but a total mess. ¼* (Original rating: DUD)

Eric Bischoff introduces a video package of the Steiner Brothers' career highlights, which of course makes sure to highlight victories over The Road Warriors and The Nasty Boys

Thomas Rich v Vinnie Vegas: This is Kevin Nash's debut with his new gimmick. Vegas suckers him into a cheap shot before the bell, and hits a quick two-handed bulldog, followed by a short-clothesline before finishing with the Snake Eyes at 0:57. New name, new look, same shit. DUD (Original rating: DUD)

Eric Bischoff brings Paul E. Dangerously out to insult half the roster, and offend half the viewing audience

Six-Man Tag Team Match: Arn Anderson, Bobby Eaton, Larry Zbyszko v Ron Simmons, Dustin Rhodes, and Barry Windham: Anderson and Eaton are fresh off of winning the tag titles a few days earlier. Bobby celebrates by attacking Windham before the bell, and he wastes no time delivering a vertical superplex, but Barry no-sells it, and clotheslines the shit out of him before hitting his own superplex! That triggers a brawl between all six men, with the babyfaces applying simultaneous figure fours, and the dust settling on Larry and Ron. Larry can't overpower the big Simmons, so Anderson comes in to lend a hand, but Ron takes them both out with shoulderblocks. That brings Bobby in off the top, but Simmons catches him in a bearhug, then press-slams an interfering Anderson! Tag to Dustin, so Eaton goes to the eyes, but ends up getting tossed over the top onto the ramp - Rhodes diving after him with a tope suicida! Tags to Larry and Barry, and Larry dodges a jumping clothesline, but gets backdropped as he tries a piledriver. Eaton goes up, but ends up getting knocked all the way to the floor, and Windham bulldogs Anderson. They keep trying to triple-team, but Rhodes cuts them off - only to miss a bodypress, and go flying over the top onto the ramp in the process! Paul E. Dangerously is ready with a cheap shot out there, and inside, the Dangerous Alliance go to work. Larry with a Russian legsweep for two, and Arn with a rotating spinebuster for two. DDT gets two, and Eaton bodyslams him to setup a flying elbowdrop for two. They continue cutting the ring in half, but Arn hits knees with a 2^nd rope flying splash, and Windham gets the tag! He comes in hot with a flying clothesline on Eaton, followed by a jumping one. Backdrop gets two when Larry comes in, and Arn adds a cheap shot to trigger a brawl - Roseanne Barr the door! Bobby tries coming off the top to finish Barry, but runs into a gutpunch, and Windham scores the pinfall at 9:27! Non-stop action here! **** (Original rating: ***)

Backstage, Dustin Rhodes looks like he's trying not to cry as Barry Windham rants and raves. Ron Simmons just kind of looks on

Main Event: Rick Rude and Steve Austin v Sting and Ricky Steamboat: Jesse Ventura fills in for Tony on commentary for this one. Austin starts with Steamboat, and they quickly start slugging it out, with the Dragon getting the better of it. Ricky with a variety of cradles for a few near falls, so Rude comes in, but the Dragon cleans house. Back in, Steamboat manages to dodge an attempted double team, and he passes over to Sting. The crowd seems to have thinned out a lot here, which is odd, since this match is the main event, and has no shortage of star power. Sting gives him both versions of the atomic drop (complete with Rude's usual goofy selling), but he botches a gutwrench suplex, and goes to a reverse chinlock instead. Well, those are generally much harder to screw up. The babyfaces do the ol' switcheroo behind the referees back a couple of times to infuriate Paul E. Dangerously, but Sting ends up landing balls-first on Rude's knees, and Austin gets the tag. The Dangerous Alliance cut the ring in half on Sting, but Austin fails at a backdrop, and Steamboat gets the tag - coming in hot. Victory roll on Austin looks to finish, but Rude breaks it up, and Steve backelbows him down. The Alliance cut the ring in half on Steamboat now, but Austin again loses control, and gets cradled for two. This Austin kid's a real loser, I doubt he's got much of a future in this business. Sting comes in to cutoff Rude, but ends up getting tossed out onto the ramp - only to come flying back in with a bodypress to knock Steamboat onto Austin for the pin at 11:22. The finish looked a bit mistimed. Solid match, but not as balls to the wall fun as some of the other tags tonight. ** (Original rating: ***)

BUExperience: One of the best Clashes ever! With strong performances from top to bottom (driven by K. Allen Frey’s bonus system, that rewarded the night’s best workers), it’s a total must see! The only real glaring negative is that this was the buildup show for SuperBrawl II, but (due to contractual bullshit) World Champion Lex Luger was nowhere to be seen.